City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Lancaster | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,576/mo | $1,250/mo | 26.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $368,800 | $215,500 | 71.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,367 | $57,537 | 24.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 105.5 | 98.9 | 6.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 127.3 | 91.5 | 39.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 107.4 | 88.3 | 21.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 107.8 | 98.8 | 9.1% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lancaster, you'd need $82,511 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 17.5% cheaper overall than Lancaster, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% lower in Philadelphia than in Lancaster. If you earn $80,000 in Lancaster, you'd need about $66,008 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.